Gowerian Farmers

Family letters are abuzz as George comes to the end of his apprenticeship and Sill wants him to read the marriage advertisements.

                                        Overton Gower

May 4^th 1880

Dear Brother

I received your letter duly but cannot comply with your request as I never attempted anything of the sort, and do not know what form you would require it in, please send me a copy of yours and then I shall see, and may try at some future one, such a plan has been proposed in Horton Sunday School, for some of the big scholars to prepare papers on the lessons, but I do not think it ever will be practised. 

Pitton tea meeting will be held on Thursday next & some two or three of us are thinking to go, if all is well.  I expect to spend the Whit Sunday & Monday in Swansea with Jane to rest a bit after working so hard sowing barley etc.  The crops are looking very promising about here & the dry fine weather, with yesterdays rain has done not a little to cheer the drooping hearts of the Gowerian Farmers.  Uncle George has had a misfortune, in losing one of his horses (Boxer) on Saturday night, they have one young one 3 years old, besides old Pedlar he is very feeble & I think Uncle is going to Swansea fair on Saturday to buy another.

Our Lyster & Bright are in foal this year, & Boxer is very quiet in saddle, harness being free from vice.  We are well in advance with out work.

I shall like to know whether you & Uncle have made any arrangements, and from what date you receive wages and the amount.

Father and Mother are gone up to Castle this afternoon, as the school board meets at Oxwich this evening & Father is an Hon: Member,

Hoping you & all are quite well again, with kindest love

                              I remain

                                        Your loving Brother

                                                  Silvanus Bevan

P.S. Don’t forget to look over the marriage advertisements in the Camb after the sixth time of asking

N.G. The letters you send to me that you don’t wish Father to see please address to _ _ Jun without which of coarse I cannot open them.

The Rev Biscombe is to preach on the evening

Overton

June 1^st/79

Dear Brother

I am glad to tell you we are all quite well although the weather is so cold.

Today the tea meeting takes place at Oxwich green.  The Rev. Mr. Biscombe from Lanelly is to preach on the evening.

Sill and Harriet are gone but it has been raining very hard ever since they started so I think they will enjoy a good shower bath if nothing else.

I think Frank will be disappointed at the rain.  They were going to walk out to Sketty and have their tea on Sketty Green but I am afraid they will have to get indoors in somewhere.

We washed the sheep on Saturday and we should be glad with your services to help shear them if you could spare a week or so but I suppose you are so full of business that you couldnt be spared.

You were going a little too fast when you sent to ask us had we finished sowing Swedes.  We have not Begun.

Jane has been into Swansea and had her tooth pulled out she had been suffering very much in it.

Aunt Jane started for Cardiff Saturday to see Rowland.  I cannot think of any more important news to tell you so I must conclude

                   with love from all

                             I remain

                   Your affectionate sister

                             E. Bevan

In April 1672 Richard Bevan’s house in Rhossili was officially licensed as an Independent Meeting House and four years later the congregation numbered 45 in this small parish of approximately 135 residents, thus becoming the largest group of dissenters in Gower. (Richard was one of the sons of Jenkin Bevan and his wife Elizabeth After, brother to William who is recorded as being a member of the Society of Friends in the mid 17th century.)

John Wesley, the founding father of Methodism, visited Gower at least four times between 1762-1773 staying at a cottage in Oxwich. By 1780 the Methodist movement had spread widely in the southern counties of Wales and produced a flurry of chapel building in the Gower area. Oxwich Chapel was built in 1808 and Horton in 1813, followed by Pitton in 1833, Llangennith in 1862 and Reynoldstone in 1869 - the chapel at Porteynon was fitted out by Captain Bevan in 1852. The chapel at Horton where several of Silvanus and Ann’s children were baptised was built on land provided by William Tucker. The Old Manse was built in 1868 when Horton became the place of residence for Gower’s Wesleyan Minister, although according to the Bevan description of the cramped accommodation afforded the incoming Minister in 1879, the manse would appear to be little more than a small cottage.

The 1851 religious census in South Wales recorded a total of 1,863 places of worship – of these 615 were Church of England, 7 Roman Catholic and 2 Jew – all the rest were non-conformist chapels with 80% of the Welsh people describing themselves as ‘adherents’ of Non Conformist bodies.

Silvanus appears on the Gower Circuit Quarterly plan of May-July 1868 as being ‘On Trial’, the stage before full accreditation as a local Preacher is given. By the time of the Quarterly plan of August-October 1869 S. Bevan of Overton is on the Preachers List. In 1870 Silvanus is described as leader at Porteynon. In 1878 he is listed as being one of the Circuit Stewards, a senior lay position, along with Capt. William Bevan and John Tucker as Assistant.

The cottage in Oxwich where John Wesley stayed

Jane has a secret

Overton

Monday

Dear Brother

Father & Mother & Eliza is going to Mansell Fold.  Poor Aunt Betsey died very sudden on Wednesday morning.  She had not been very well for a bout a fortnight but able to do her work.  She did not feel well on Wednesday and did not get up.  Mary Jenkins took her up a cup of tea and helped her up in bed to drink it.  She fell back and died in a few minites and is buryed to day and Mrs Morgan Bevan of Pitton Late of Swansea late Mary Curtis of Parkland is buryed at Porteynon to day and Mr S Wilson of Nilstone is to be buryed to morrow.  Their eldest brother is in California they have telegraph for him to come home.  

I heard that he told the girls when he was ill last that if he died he was afraid they would be almost on the parish people have wounderd how he could live in such stite and carry on the business the girls are always off one or the other visiting about then they have company staying in the house.  I am afraid the poor girls will find a great loss.  

Aunt Harriet is not well she has pain in her legs she is scarsily able to move.  

When I write to you next if all is well I shall revele a secret do not say any thing a bout it.  I will tell you in time.  

Sam Gibbs and young John Grove of Porteynon went to sea on Saturday evening.  Good night

I am your aff Sister

          Jane Bevan

A Victorian view of St Cattwg, Port Eynon

Frank decides on being a draper - or not

A letter from the younger sisters.

Overton

Tuesday

Dear Brother

I should have written before but we have been so busy cleaning that we have had no time.  We had the chimney swept this morning and tomorrow Aunt Harriet is coming up to help paper.

Father & Mother were down to Pitton yesterday after the seed.

We have finished sowing barley.

We had a letter from Uncle today he says that they have all bad colds.

We heard from Frank last week he complains of being very tired at night his month is up on Thursday so we shall see wether he decides on being a draper or not.

We are all quite well and hoping you are the same. I remain

                   Your Affect.

                             Sister

E. Bevan               Harriete waiting for the pen.

Old postcard view of Port Eynon from the cliffs

Aunt Harriet is another example of the intermarrying Gower families.  Born Harriet Jones Bevan she was the granddaughter of Harriet Gibbs formerly George, (Ann’s mother Jane’s sister).  Harriet married George Bevan, Silvanus’ seagoing younger brother, in Swansea in 1867.  They had three children, Silvanus George born 1868; Elizabeth Mary in 1870 and John Overton in 1872.  Their youngest son was born four months before his father’s death on  December 16.  Harriet and her sons live at The Rectory, Porteynon.

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Taken from Harriet George's notebooks